“Agatha All Along” Season 1, Episode 3 Review

(*This article contains some spoilers. Read at your own discretion.*)

The third episode of the “Wandavision” spinoff, “Agatha All Along: Through Many Miles of Tricks and Trials” aired last Wednesday, September 25th and it did not disappoint.

While the first two episodes were riding on the hype of “Wandavision,” the third episode proved the nine-episode miniseries could be exciting and fun. This week’s episode followed the coven, plus Teen, as they uncovered their darkest secrets in a fancy country club mansion.

After the coven is chased by the Salem Seven into a mysterious hole in the basement, they end up on the Witches Road. Here, a fan-favorite character, Debra Jo Rupp’s Mrs. Hart has a normal person’s reaction to the absolute chaos that Agatha, played by the brilliant Kathryn Hahn, dragged her into.

The dysfunctional group spotted their first trial in the form of a riddle and a country club. Mrs. Hart hilariously chugs down a glass of wine, and the others reluctantly follow suit. Since Teen is underage, he is forbidden from drinking the wine.

When the wine turns out to be a deadly poison called the Alewife’s Revenge, the coven has to work through hallucinations and illnesses to stay alive. Sadly, there is one tragic death: one of the coven members does not take the antidote in time and dies.

On the flip side, this episode dropped more hints about Agatha. Sasheer Zamata’s Jennifer Kale warns Teen about Agatha, stating that she “traded her own child for the Book of the Damned.” When Joe Locke’s Teen refutes the claim, Kale says that no one really knows what happened to Agatha’s son, that he might have become an agent of Mephisto, the evil demon who rules over the MCU’s Hell.

Things get even more interesting when Agatha’s nightmare hallucination centers around a baby crying in a rocking crib, only for her to remove the baby’s blanket to reveal the Book of the Damned.

In fact, this episode seemed to give some foreshadowing about Teen and his possible past. In the same conversation where Kale warns Teen about Agatha’s rumored past actions, Kale claims that Agatha couldn’t “even recognize her own son if he showed up at her doorstep.” Teen, in fact, did show up unannounced at Agatha’s house.

In addition, the typically apathetic Agatha appeared quite protective of Teen during episode three. When Teen states he’ll drink the wine if Agatha doesn’t, Agatha refuses to let him and intentionally drinks the poisoned wine. This concern appears almost motherly.

Fortunately, there are still six more episodes to unravel the characters’ mysteries. With the renewed magic of the show, the audience is in for a one-of-a-kind journey with the cynical Agatha.

Even the lighting and colors of this episode added to the illusionary magic. When the coven stepped off the Witches Road and towards the country club mansion, the colors seemed to give a Wizard of Oz effect, transitioning from dark greens and grays to bright pastels. Additionally, the hallucination that Lilia Calderu, played by the magnificent Patti LuPone, experienced was filmed in a truly nightmare-inducing manner.

While the first two episodes were holding on to the fame of “Wandavision,” thankfully the third episode of the Disney+ miniseries demonstrated that “Agatha All Along” can step out of the shadow of “Wandavision.” Hopefully, the fourth episode will be just as lively.

Episode 4 of “Agatha All Along” will air on Disney on October 2nd, 2024, with an episode premiering weekly. The final two episodes will be released on October 30th, fitting for the spooky show.

Rating: 4/5

Sarah Taylor is a second-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, email smt6314@psu.edu.